Rainy Days and the Moral Complexities of Jack and the Beanstalk.

My almost three year old seems to have an immunity to the mood sapping effects of horizontal rain and skies the colour of battleships. I however do not. And am grumping around this morning as if someone had stolen the last donut. Not even coffee is helping.

We sat down to eat breakfast, almost three year old and I, mother of the child having a well earned sleep in, and we talked about the moral dilemma’s dealt with by Jack while climbing giant beanstalks and knicking golden geese from under the considerable noses of their rightful owners. We came to the conclusion that the decision making represented a great case study in situational ethics. Should Jack have allowed himself and his mother to starve in order to protect the proprietary rights of the wealthy? Or is theft justified in the situation of preservation of life?

Almost three year old’s conclusion was that despite the complexities of the situation, he wanted more egg on toast, and that was the end of it.

Fair enough.